Boston’s nightlife czar announces grants, ‘activations’ to revitalize city nightlife
Banner Business Sponsored by The Boston Foundation
Boston’s nightlife is about to get a major boost as Mayor Michelle Wu and the Office of Nightlife Economy announce the 42 recipients of the inaugural “Wake Up the Night Grant.”
The grant awards individuals and organizations up to $10,000 to support “nighttime activations.”
The funding uses $300,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act and is expected to support 50 events from now until the end of the year in an attempt to revitalize Boston’s nightlife. The events will span 13 neighborhoods and will all be free and open to the public.
The Office of Nightlife Economy, whose director was named in 2023, highlighted categories for all funded events, including youth programming, accessible programming, cultural expression, intergenerational programming, spirit-free programming (events omitting the consumption and presence of alcohol) and weekday activations.
When the grant launched in April 2024, 198 residents, nonprofits, and businesses applied. The Office of Nightlife Economy selected the winning applications, working with a review committee of 14 city employees from various departments.
“The Wake Up the Night Grants are a crucial part of our strategy to bring new energy to Boston’s nightlife,” Corean Reynolds, director of the Office of Nightlife Economy — aka, the late-night czar — said in a statement. “By amplifying community-led solutions and supporting diverse and inclusive events across our neighborhoods, we aim to create a thriving nighttime economy that benefits all residents.”
The complete list of grant recipients is below:
- A Trike Called Funk for Funk Fest
- Abilities Dance Boston for Fall Ballet
- ANIKAYA for Sacred Spaces Series at Night
- Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC) for Films at the Gate Festival
- Ball in the House, LLC for Family Sing! with Ball in the House
- Castle of our Skins: Intersecting Points for The Life and Music of Julia Perry
- Chills Diamond Ring Education Foundation for Teen Networking Socials
- Curation Agency, LLC for LITE it UP!: The Adult Playground
- Design Museum Foundation, Inc for Family Design Workshops with Minni & Design Museum Everywhere
- Downtown Boston Business Improvement District (BID) for Third Space Creative Showcase Series
- Dray Drinks LLC for Non-Alcoholic Beer Garden and Night Market
- Dunamis Inc. for One Night In Atlantis
- Edosa Osemwegie for The Ultimate Game Night: Wellness Edition
- Elizabeth DiCiaccio for Dyke Alley
- Elizabeth Tobin for Rocking Rozzie: A Celebration of Women Who Rock!
- Friends of the South End Library for Summer Jazz Concerts in Library Park
- HellaBlack LLC for Hella Black Trivia Night
- Hoops Collaborative Youth Development Program for Hoops Collaborative EmpowerHer Basketball League
- Kahleil Blair for The Juice III
- Akou Diabakhate for Night Glow Series: Empowering Cultural Expression and Wellness
- KickBack Boston for One Day Only Fest
- Live Like a Local Tours Boston for Community Arts Showcase
- Longfellow Area Neighborhood Association for LANA Ice Cream Social
- Makeysha Montgomery for Nina Simone and J. S. Bach “A Connection of Two Geniuses”
- Mariona Lloreta for ALTARS, A Live Experience
- Matthew Meyers for Night Cap Evening Cafe & Event Series
- Patrick Ly for Close the Circle
- Piers Park Sailing Center for Kayak the Night
- Pitch Black Media for Downtown Comedy Nights
- Richard Njoroge for AboveGround x Boston: UNIIQU3 + Conducta
- Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy (Greenway Conservancy) for Dewey Square Mural Opening Celebration & Drag Show
- Roxbury Cultural District for Nubian Nights, Part 3, The Arts, The Culture, The People of Roxbury
- Sadiq Ervin for The Blair B*tch Project
- Spontaneous Celebrations for Lantern Parade
- Substation Community Supporters for A Haunted Circus: A Halloween spectacle!
- The Little Cocoa Bean Company for Food is a Love Language
- The Record Co. for Boston Waves
- The West End Museum for A Confluence of Cultures: Immigrants, Music, and the Art of Cultural Enrichment
- Tony’s Market for Pop-Up Opera in Roslindale
- United Dance for “Kick off the Holidays”
- Urbanity Dance for Urbanity Dance Fall Crawl Event
- Veronica Robles Cultural Center for Día de los Muertos Night
Eli Chavez is a reporter for the Boston Business Journal
